Menu boards are widely used at fast food restaurants, for example, to display menu item descriptions and pricing information to a customer. Such menu boards are oftentimes used in restaurants to inform the customer of the available products, their prices, and may also include photographs of special menu items. Typically, the menu board includes one or more menu panels (also referred to as “grids”) mounted to an illuminating box (also referred to as a light box) containing a light source for back-lighting the menu panels from the interior of the box.
In menu boards of the type described above, it is well known in the art to provide menu item descriptions and pricing information on elongated menu strips (also referred to as “slats”) which are supported by the menu panels and positioned forwardly of the light source. The menu strips may include transparent characters or numerals which are thus illuminated by the light source while an opaque surface on the menu strip prevents light from being transmitted through other areas of the menu strip. Examples of such menu strip designs may be found in Porter, II et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,604 and Grate, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,107 wherein the menu strips are positioned on the menu board between adjacent pairs of guide rails fixed to a front or rear surface of the menu board.
It is generally common in the fast food industry to have menu strips with varying heights as different menu items require more or less description of the product. For example, one menu strip may contain the description “Hamburger” while another menu strip may describe a special combination of “Hamburger”, “French Fries” and a “Drink”, with these descriptions being presented in three separate lines on the menu strip to reduce customer confusion in selecting from available products. In the latter example, it will be recognized that the menu strip will have a greater height than in the former example. Moreover, the restaurant may include photographs of special menu items presented on flexible strips of varying heights which are also positioned forwardly of the light source between adjacent pairs of guide rails.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,636,463 and 5,901,486, owned by the common assignee, menu panels are disclosed that are adjustable in the field to accommodate for changes in the heights of menu strips, photographs and other descriptive indicia presented at the menu board. In the adjustable menu panels of these patents, a menu panel frame is provided having a top, a bottom and a pair of side members. The side members of the frame incorporate a series of guide rail support elements disposed along the length of the side members that positively engage and secure a series of generally parallel guide rails to the frame. The guide rails are selectively engageable and disengageable at their opposite ends with the guide rail support elements to provide adjustable spacing between adjacent pairs of the guide rails. A series of elongated menu strips having descriptive indicia, such as menu item names and pricing information, are disposed between and supported by different adjacent pairs of the guide rails.
The guide rails are slotted longitudinally to slidably receive the menu strips between adjacent pairs of the guide rails. The guide rails include an “H-shaped” cross-section front member and a rearwardly extending clip member that engages the guide rail support elements and secures the guide rails to the frame. The front members thereby define a series of sleeves between adjacent pairs of the guide rails to slidably receive the menu strips within the sleeves. To accommodate for changes in menu strip height, the guide rails are selectively positionable at varying locations along the length of the side members to provide adjustable spacing between adjacent pairs of the guide rails.
Notwithstanding the advantages and benefits provided by the adjustable menu panels disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,636,463 and 5,901,486, there is a need for an improved menu panel system which is readily adjustable for different menu board applications.